What a journey it has been, at the beginning of the unit I had no idea how to log onto Moodle as a student or set up a blog. It’s given me a greater understanding of the new student experience and a sense of what it is like to enter a scholarly community – something I have thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve learnt to write about my reflections, developing my academic vocabulary along the way. I’ve gained so much from the lecture series and feel honoured to have met such an incredible group of educators, peer learning providing the space for us all to learn from each other’s experience and expertise. I’ve had the opportunity to test & develop my ideas with an audience. I’ve learnt from Tim that even our tutors don’t always get it right – our microteaching day was packed full of emotions. I’ve enjoyed the experience of watching others teach at the London School of Fashion and Chelsea School of Art. I am determined to visit the Museum & Study collection at Central St Martins from our object-based learning session. It’s reassuring to realise that I already do a lot of named teaching practices – I had no idea of the concept ‘object-based learning’ when I took my students to engage with the Zine collection at LCC. I’ve also explored and gained knowledge on many pedagogies such as the importance of knowledge sharing and silence as a teaching practice, I’ve been able to try & evaluate different modalities for facilitating group learning – large & small groups verses 1 to 1, influence participation, motivate & support learners and present information through experiencing my own and others microteaching sessions. I have a greater understanding of the importance of implementing the Ual policy of climate, social and racial justice into all levels of our course. I’ve learnt new methods & techniques such as transparent pedagogy. I’ve been able to evaluate these from the perspective of a learner and made many connections between my own experience and that of my students. I’ve also been able to situate my academic practice within the wider context of the HE sectors and the art school environment. Helping me to consider how I present my ideas and explain my work to different people and evaluate that process. I’ve also explored ways to refresh my teaching practice through the design and delivery of my content. Evaluating learning sessions to positively impact my student’s experience. It’s been an incredible experience; I cannot wait to see what next term brings.
Areas of interest to consider – How to equalise assessment/non graded feedback? – Compassionate pedagogy. – How to get Chinese students to be more vocal and integrated in the course. – Presentation skills as key area for course development. – How to decolonise and integrate the reading list into the curriculum. – How might we integrate & engage the library as a source for learning & research – more engagement. – How might we facilitate library resources into object-based learning as part of the course curriculum.
15th March – Judy Willcocks, Jacqueline Winston-Silk & Georgina Orgill.
I attend this session live but online, learning about the teaching collection at CSM. Historically, aesthetic appreciation was a learned experience. In the late 19th century, a collection was formed. A number of governments funded art schools gathered objects to inspire generations of makers to challenge the perceived design hegemony of countries across Europe. CSM collected a wide range of materials such as German film posters, medieval manuscripts and rare books, hoping to inspire students to behave in a different way. The idea was to engage with objects in a studio environment and unpick them. In the 1970s, with a rise in the popularity of teaching art history and critical studies, collections were rediscovered. It was decided that the CMS collection should tell the story of the students, alumni and staff, it’s now used to support learning & teaching throughout the university. Question: how do you take a collection and use it in a way relevant to current teaching practice in terms of the curriculum? Historically museum learning was for primary schools and an older, passive audience. At CSM students are very proactive. I created an Attainment workshop with our course librarian where my students investigated the Zine collection at LCC, at the time I did not realise that this was the teaching technique of object-based learning. Could this technique be at the heart of curriculum development?
It’s importance to recognise the use of space to display and learn as part of this experience, where you can communicate your offer and engage with your audience. How might we display the course reading list in out studio space or show examples of previous sketchbooks to highlight examples of the learning outcomes such as show ‘evidence of enquiry’? The early 20th Century phycologist John Dewey and Jean Piaget established ‘learning as a communal & democratic process’. Bruner states ‘interest & curiosity are key motivations for learning.’ David Kolb considered education practice post 1992 was to prepare students for the world of work. I need to consider the importance of experimental learning particularly in art and design is about what we read and do. I worry my students don’t read enough; I wonder how I can inspire them?
Object based learning is an academic discipline within HE. The meaning of the object is held in the transition between the object and the learner. Philip Jana Wine & Abigail Hussan considered visual thinking strategies. They looked at what happened when students engaged in object-based learning, they used transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research and analysis leading to richer, deeper learning experiences. Being able to handle the object and feel, being a key part of the embodiment experience. This was thrown by lockdown and something we experimented with in the session. We were asked to write and then share our thoughts on the experience from viewing objects we had at home in person and then online. The object becomes as a focal point for meaning making and self-reflection. Students are encouraged to explore their research practice, habits of mind and frames of reference through this experience – fantastic to get them away from constantly using google for research purposes. I created a workshop for my third-year students where we brain stormed and created a primary and secondary research check list they could use as a starting point and inspiration for any project brief. Discussion points guide students. Questions can lead to assumptions that will drive all the thinking behind the research. A framework methodology Jules Prone ‘material culture’ 1980s examination of objects through description, deduction and hypothesis. Again, this reminds me of the importance of ‘noticing’ as with our earlier lecture in the unit. The experience creates collaborative meaning making, a framework for students to engage with objects more deeply. respecting difference and an understanding that peers all see objects differently, everyone brings something to the table. There is no right or wrong. Make sure your practice is based on the student experience. Museum lead projects are embedded in the courses at CSM, how might we do something similar at LCC? OBL is written into the learning and teaching enhancement strategy for Ual 2015-2022. Consider the challenges – decolonise a white western collection, policy to acquire objects that speak of race and gender. Teaching collections in the UK important part of current teaching practice.
Object-Based Learning and Well-Being Exploring Material Connections Edited By Thomas Kador, Helen Chatterjee 2020.
We participate in a group reading activity, after a discussion, we summarise it and present our feedback to the other half of our group. I read ‘Race and the Neoliberal University’ from last week’s suggestions. ‘Students should regard their education as an investment in human capital with an eye to its returns in the labour market.’ Marketisation of full student fees since 2008 financial crash. There was a shift from higher education as a social right to personal responsibility – privatisation. Looking back after the war, public higher education was developed as part of a process to democratise, offering full participation for all. Neoliberal privatisation is ‘structurally racist’ while projecting ‘neutrality’ the idea that higher education as a personal responsibility would seem to reinforce existing socioeconomic inequalities, that would appear to be based on merit but are actually ‘status’ Universities claim to be race blind dissolving characteristics involving differential treatment but the neutrality of universities is a mirage. It is necessary to decolognise universities, democracy and membership in the political community that HE is located. Historically, universities began as private/religious foundations in the USA many ‘Ivy League’ colleges were formed from endorsements of wealth, sometimes from plantation slavery. Many state universities denied entry to African American students, ‘Jim Crow’ subverted equality after the Civil War. Segregated public education in the US did not end until 1954. (Brown & Bond of Education.) In the UK, Research Universities interconnecting with the wider economy & society. Expansion and the numbers of students increased the importance of higher education to provide credentials for the job market – this gave universities an important role, in securing ‘equal opportunities’ elite universities sought to transfer status to research activities and present themselves as providing access to superior employment opportunities. HE provided a skilled, trained workforce. ‘The system must be judged as deficient unless it provides adequately for all.’ Robbins report in the UK inaugurated abolishing fees and introducing means tested grants. The expansion of a free, public higher education believed to mitigate the effects of mixed system of public and private secondary education however the reforms didn’t discuss access for women or disadvantaged minorities. The US equivalent was elite universities with high fees alongside a robust public higher education offering. We discuss this piece and what we agreed/disagreed with.
We talk about the division of our overseas students through economics, a point of interest 50% of overseas students use Business class flights to come to the UK. The Chinese students in GB&I are very wealthy. Our British students are becoming the minority, sometimes working 2 jobs to pay for accommodation. Is one group getting more from the course than another as they are financially protected? The enormous cost of fees, housing, education, visa. Are international students buying a degree? Why? Privilege. Our students are now customers, it’s not their fault. What is the purpose of HE? Who are the stake holders? What is the long-term vision? Universities were about the empire, colonial influence in the 60s moving to the UK, it was felt education was a right. We are a framework, public university education UK/US contradictory, meritocracy, social rights to individual responsibility, decolonisation and public education, privatised and privileged. ‘diversity’ consists of overseas students from elite privileged background giving them economic freedom. We have students coming from all over the world. division. The article explains how this happened, racism, colonisation, slavery and the Ivy League. We can ask – what is the purpose of education? To make the world a better place. Governance, stake holders originally publicly funded after 60s and 2000s changed. Subjected to neo liberalisation, market forces but is the market correct? It is highly skewed towards the wealthy. The inequality is a new liberal model for education. It has become capitalistic fueling only 1% who will be able to afford a university education. Making them richer, getting the top jobs in powerful positions, causing more inequality. International students can ‘buy’ a degree to get them a better job at home. Policy makers – do they really know the purpose of HE? Networking, to build relationships, how you get a job later on, the ‘who you know’ public school education could network. There was a time in the UK when you didn’t pay fees, statistically students didn’t come from wealthy backgrounds, how many amazing students might we miss as this becomes reality? Free market model. Ual values social justice yet are attracting the top 1% earning families. We talk about sustainability, but our students are flying back to Tokyo for the Easter break. The whole model could collapse at any moment. Capitalist model is inherently selfish, its about imbalance. in the context of education, we should say no.
Holmwood, J. (2018) ‘Race and the Neoliberal University.’ In Bhambra, G. K., Gebrial, D. and Nisancıoglu, K. (eds.) Decolonising the University. London: Pluto Press, pp.37-52.
In this session we discussed the impact of a formal verses informal learning experience – its general characteristics. I feel that teaching has changed a lot in 20 years due to consumerism. I feel I need to deliver more. Attendance is as issue, students see it is optional which I find surprising, especially when you are paying for a service, I would take every opportunity offered. We are asked to think about a positive educational experience from our past that remains memorable and vivid. I had a wonderful art teacher who encouraged me to go to art school and a brilliant physics teacher who taught us practically by doing experiences. She was electrifying in her enthusiasm, and we learnt a lot from the experience. We are asked to think about what we bring to teaching & learning. We require knowledge, professional policy and guidelines. UK PSF – values associated with advanced HE.
What knowledge do you need to teach? – What do we need to know in order to teach well? – Knowledge in your subject. – An idea of what students already know – prior knowledge, who are your students? – Contextualise your experience/practice – apply it to the industry – The ability to communicate – The ability to be flexible – read the room & accordingly – Adjust the class when needed – How much time you’ve got – timing & pacing – Space – Comfortable with the subject matter – Customisation to access for individuals – Equipment & resources – Lesson plan, materials, strategy – Empathy, compassion & understanding – Collaboration with the teaching team – Knowing what’s happening in the industry and in the future – An awareness of what’s happening in the real world
What values inform the way we teach? – Empathy, compassion – What do you care about? Sharing knowledge – A sense of community – A policy – Diversity in the teaching team – beyond case studies – Transparency – Collaboration – Personal growth & development – Community of students & tutors
Consider how knowledge and value interact, look for commonalities and alignments.
Values in education policy Values are more difficult to pin down as we might hold conflicting points of view. Consider our tacit values – not what we teach by saying but by doing. Students observe how we behave and will adopt similar behaviour such as how we interact in a workshop, no running, carefully using equipment based on health & safety training.
What is the difference between values, beliefs, ethics, duties, morals, principles and guiding principles? Your values might actually be your ethics, but it is good to distinguish between them. Is it possible to order them in some way?
Differences in articulated values and tacit values. How these relate to each other in the educational context of teaching & learning. (thereby relating to/including practice based processes and/or disciplines. Belly & Salina.
We look at the UKPSF 2011: Globalised, Education, Values? Knowledge & values side by side. What does this body add to our own beliefs? We are asked to critique what they have included, what have they added that we’ve not thought about, in relation to our case studies? How do we meet, match or exceed these professional expectations? Limitation of your own knowledge. the importance of interaction between teachers and students co-creates art education. We are not staff as the font of all knowledge, filling students up. Staff have professional experience, but students also have enormous knowledge.
Areas of activity, design, planning, teaching & assessment. How do we define our core knowledge? Professional values. I teach from my own knowledge of design but also my professional experience – we discuss if you haven’t worked for 10 years does your relevant experience have a time limit? especially in a world of emerging technology that has huge implications for our creative students. How do we teach students something that may not even exist by the time they graduate? Students have changed, they now want something very personal. How will Chat IP affect their career choice? Are we doing the right kind of assessment? Teaching methods. We put trust & value in our students. There is a hierarchy in design education if someone stays in a job for 20 plus years, do they still add value? Contemporary teachers – VPs and ALs tend to be younger, possibly exposed to more up to date practices and technology?
Consider the language behind policy framework, refining key terms and utopian thinking. Policy relates to the work I am doing with students, tutorials, student health, disability. Ethics, risk assessment, quality and inclusion. Academic misconduct, read with a critical eye. we look at Ual guidelines, tutorial policy as a framework on canvas Creative attributes framework. There are legal documents to protect the university and me as a tutor. How do they connect? Sustainability? Climate justice page. a framework for the university strategy principles, and how they are implemented for example in the course handbook, course description, in the unit briefing and in the learning outcomes – the issue of sustainability & climate justice could be embedded and addressed across all of these touchpoints. Look at UAL 22-23 strategy and 3 guiding principles. Climate, racial and social justice principles framework and suggestions for embedding these. We could create a min utopia if everyone followed these it would be fantastic.
Framework We consider what is a professional framework. how could you map a teaching practice using the framework? Could you use those steps to elevate or improve? How could they connect to a tutorial or marketing policy? Or mental health? I put the policy of climate justice into teaching, consider environmental, economic, social, cultural sustainability
1. Baseline Brief students, acknowledge sustainability, what works and what doesn’t. Contextualise climate, racial and social justice principles.
2. Awareness Talk to them about current methods of design practice, teach sustainability, identify issues, awareness leads to actions being taken, relevant visable knowledge, application of principles from the climate justice policy.
3. Ideation Ask students to research sustainability, brainstorm concepts, competitor research. Create a course design manifesto written by the students on the issues they feel are important, everyone on the course signs it, creating a new sustainable network. A monthly newsletter written & designed by students for students highlighting key projects, exhibitions and news related to climate justice and sustainability. Hold a yearly college event with an exhibition and guest speakers. Consider current world views. Create work based on sustainable principles, reflecting the new relevant knowledge they have learnt, documented in sketchbooks and project outcomes.
4. Shift Apply the principles you have created as part of your ‘process’ to all future design projects, manifesto annually reviewed & signed. Embedded in the course culture – handbook, course units, design briefs and briefs and marked against the learning outcomes.
I watched a recording of this session rather than attending it live. This was a different experience, enabling me to pause while making notes but I missed the interaction of my classmates. In this session Neil asked us to consider how we could make our assessment and feedback more compassionate. How could we reimagine assessment practices for a social justice orientated, relational approach. Consider the impact on students such as the narrative enquiry the experience of students of colour.
Outlines 1. Why – wider assessment context 2. Assessment context at Ual – motivation and affect 3. How? Compassion, trust – the practical
‘Compassion means the noticing of social & physical distress to others and the commitment to reduce or prevent that distress.’ (Gilbert 2017:189) ‘Motivate to act/alleviate suffering’ (Shauss et all 2016:15) We learn that compassion is not kindness, it is not about lowering standards. This approach was accelerated during the pandemic. Students still wanted rigour and to maintain standards but to minimise suffering & trauma, during this period a pass/fail model for level 4 was introduced. This was a natural experiment to explore assessment and grading. QAA reports available – look up. A trauma informed policy – to what extend do the assessment policies of creative art institutions acknowledge the interaction between assessment and student’s whole self, representing a compassionate and more useful approach to assessment? How can we enact compassion on feedback for assessment as a learner journey? The value is understanding why you got a grade and understanding what you could do to improve it.
While our assessment practice remains we are not being compassionate but causing our students distress. How can we do this without lowering standards? What does a grade mean without feedback – in an arts university the feedback is more important? In the industry job offers and recognition come through your portfolio not degree result. Consider, do we give better grades to encourage or lower as a wakeup call? From personal experience when benchmarking i have fought for higher grades when I know the journey an individual student has been through etc. Trust is very important.
Why do we assess? Value of education, employment, to monitor student progress. To gauge learning, understand where we are at amd give students pointers on how to improve. Check understanding – what students know and can apply, to moderate engagement, to motivate, accord qualifications, evidence metrics outside Ual. Compare nationwide. Validation of course and teaching success.
Feedback and learning is useful to measure student progress and to understand if our teaching is working. alongside the legal metrics.
We can categorise these in two broad categories; 1. For credit/to award: Assessment of learning, quality assurance. 2. Learning: Assessment for and as learning, formative assessment.
We assess to award and to feedback on learning. The grading system can force students into grade chasing, they are not really learning, when they ask, ‘what do I need to do to get an A?’ The government complained about grade inflation during Covid. Assessment allows us to check how well our teaching is going. What happens if the teaching is so good, all students got an A? We would be in trouble; the unit would be considered too easy. Lowering of standards, cheating? An external examiner would notice. The teacher would not be trusted. The rhetoric is that this shouldn’t happen. Our teaching can’t be this good. Again, the issue of trust, grades have to be justified. Disparity between units. Quality, Assurance mechanics. University policies. From the criteria we can see how important assessment is.
Documents, policies and guidance are what allow us as a university to award degrees. How can we embed social justice in the curriculum, representation? There is no training for assessment when you start as an AL – I have asked for some. Assessment is important (McAuthur 2013:19) Fairness as procedure. ‘Get the right procedures in place and we can be assured that our assessment practices are fair.’ Such thinking underpins what many take for granted but we must consider students should be assessed in the same way, assignments should be submitted at the same time. The same rules should apply to everyone. We asess from a quality model not an equity model with the assumption that everyone starts from the same place, this is not true or inclusive, everyone has challenges while at university. Assessment should not disadvantage students because of characteristics or abilities to the outcome being judged. Ajani (2023:1) While all students must meet the core standards, they may not be able to do so in the same ways or in the same circumstances. There is an inequity yet we assess all students against the same learning outcomes – what to mark for a student with a great outcome but poor documentation of enquiry? (Bound & Falchikov 2007:3) ‘Assessment, rather than teaching, has a major influence on students learning. It directs attention from what is important. ‘What is useful for students the assessment or the feedback and learning? There is a tension between the two.
Part 2. We also look at the importance of tone and the difference between written and spoken feedback. Written lacks the nuance of language. We know that being assessed is emotional, there is a huge difference in feedback critiquing work or in person. Motivation, a shift from grades to pass or fail, less stressful. Key finding of Ual research from Summer 2021.
– Impact of grading on stress & anxiety – Influence of grading on learner, self – identity – Impact of grading on effort & motivation – Impact of grading on creativity & assessment output (Self-censorship) – Impact of grading on collaboration (peer interactions)
Does learning & being creative get lost when the focus is on grading. Some students want to know ‘how good am I?’ Motivation effort = grades. In an arts university how useful are grades when you could argue they are about taste? Grades make more sense in a subjective science rather than art and design. Grades can shape thinking instead we want students to work because they want to learn and show an interest in the subject. Grades and assessment can shape student’s effort, motivation and thinking. An absence of grades can lead to more risk taking. Students can use grades to rank themselves against their peers creating competition rather than collaboration. Fixed/growth mind sets. Question: should assessment be done by the same person who has taught the unit? (Carol Dureck – Mindsets) In school students must get certain grades.
Align our understanding of what assessment is with students’ expectations of how they can use assessment to benefit them. If we don’t give grades how would that affect their (un)employability? Learning can take time, but we expect students to do everything at the same pace, in 15-week units. Peer assessments build connections, we enforce a process such as iteration, reflect, do it again onto students that may not be their way of making.
Part 3. Towards more compassionate assessment processes Assessment for Social Justice ‘The theme of fairness through procedure is strong. The importance of maintain standards, rules and procedures rather than on students engagement with complex knowledge and on implications for their lives’ McArthur 2018 (24.36/47.13)
McArthur lists 5 practice, Trust; Honestly; Responsibility; Forgiveness; Responsiveness. For example, at Ual to apply for an EC you must have a good reason and provide evidence, this suggests a lack of trust. Academic misconduct policy speaks of mistrust rather than academic good practice. Awarding differences – some staff mark students differently. Build more trust through formative feedback. Honest about the illusion of objectivity, taste in art and design. We can moderate- get lots of different opinions to come to an agreement, as a form of subjectivity. We recently had a student who created a set of icons as a live brief for SIP, he was downgraded for not creating a branding project which I disagreed with and also felt responsible for, questioning, how many times if ever had I reminded him to make sure branding was included as part of his submission?
Students perceive assessment is ‘done to them’ how in my practice can I give students more power? Authenticity through assessment. The process of iteration, we learn from failure, yet our system is unforgiving, not allowing students to make mistakes. Penalties for late submission. How can we respond? How might students submit work being genuinely creative? More flexibility?
Formative assessment – Helps you get to know students – Helps student learning
Student choice – Flexible Assessment Where appropriate – Choice of topic – Choice of format – Choice of media
Students often submit sketchbooks on Miro or padlet rather than as a photographed physical book or Indesign document pdf. How could we give GB&I more freedom in submissions? Give them a sense of responsibility, allowing choice where possible, to showcase their strengths. Internal feedback (Nicol & McCallan) We naturally compare ourselves to others. Demystify internal feedback by a combination of peer & self-assessments to help students accurately make judgements about their work. Help students develop internal feedback. For example, why do we ask students to write an essay when they will never be asked to do this in industry – a report or strategy document would be more relevant. Make assessment have a purpose.
Authentic assessment in a creative context – Assess knowledge, skills and attitudes needed in the professional sphere. – Address social needs – climate, social issues – relevant to student interests.
Think about what students will do after university/in employment – replicate working in industry.
What an amazing day, such wonderful learnings for us all to experience different methods of teaching & learning. From this session I learn about object based & transparent learning, the importance of silence and how we can negate our position of authority.
Eleni Papazoglou creates a interactive session. We work in pairs, creating with the use of camera phones and framing of the image. Participants acquire knowledge by doing. It feels informal but we are learning & exploring, by introducing a method that allows us to present. She uses good time management, physically connecting people in the room – great as an icebreaker for the day.
We learn to crochet in teams with Peju, who uses nonverbal communication as a form of teaching. It allows us to see who is engaged and who isn’t. Could we apply this to very dry teaching such as coding? Following instructions to achieve a result. Closed, exploratory learning, using silence to teach – I would never think to do this, conscious that I feel the need to be ‘teaching’ is this connected to feeling students deserve their ‘value for money’? – perhaps a lack of confidence or experience in me. I learn this is ‘transparent pedagogy, being yourself as a whole person in the room.’
Ben Hirt uses a conventional didactic way to teach, a tradition of over 100 years. As the ‘expert’ tutor, standing in front, giving us information. There is a power dynamic but by handing us his camera and slowly revealing more information he cleverly creates participation and engagement. Setting up a scenario where we become the expert punctures this dynamic, asking us as the students on a scale of 1-10, ‘What do you know?’ We can update the traditional ways of learning by gamification, he gives us information, through practice there is learning.
Kyinat Motla tells us the story of her grandmother, using her jewellery as a symbol. In Pakistan gold is gifted for protection, allowing the owner to sell if it required as a silent feminist movement. She reflects on her personal history, asking us all to spend a finite time considering who we are & where do we come from. It was an incredibly powerful, simple exercise that had great meaning, I draw the view I saw as four-year-old child, from the huge windows in Birmingham children’s hospital, where I stayed on my own every night while I learnt to be a diabetic. This appeals to a diverse level of skills and ability; we could all relate and participate as a practical experiment. The experience broke the wall between the tutor and student. We all had space to be vulnerable, it was incredibly moving. Her story was personal, humanised the teaching and learning experience, opening emotions. Tim reminds us to be aware, that teaching based on experiences can be very upsetting, if people don’t get to share it can lead to unresolved learning. We all become part of the narrative. Consider the ethical question of depth. The more students we must teach the less students have the space to bring their lives into learning. Consider the way we manage boundaries, through physical learning.
Michiko Oki. This is a theatrical learning experience, exploring myths & folklore in Japanese culture. She integrates theory with practice, teaching authentically through story telling as it is her cultural heritage She used silence well, allowing us to think while we draw – something new to the space. My concept – drinks bottles are no more, in 100 years’ time we access water by swallowing a tablet. ‘Rehydration’ my speculative design. Michiko speaks of the importance of climate, forms of injustice, aligning motivation & content. Our drawings become a procession moving from the physical to theory. What framework do you put in place to to bring in different cultural experiences? The question of decolonising the curriculum – could we ask students to bring in their cultural references? – Ask the question ‘Can you think of a version of this in your cultural context?’ The session connects teaching and theatre – embodiment is another teaching method. How does an object ‘feel’ structure and dramatisation.
Francesco Mazzarella asks us to consider a series of questions about ourselves, reflecting on our own design practice. We have the student experience of what is it like to be a teacher and present. Franceso confides in us that he feels over prepared, with too many questions to focus, this is an opportunity for us to experiment. Being overprepared or underprepared can be a form of protection. Introduce boundaries to the group. Be clear – what is the focus, ‘What do you want me to do?’ Tim tells us that sometimes we give students more choices because we think we should, but a focused, orientated task allows students freedom. We can feel imposter syndrome. Consider the pace of tasks, dialogue in the room, everyone is both the teacher and learner. Handing an object, learning involves contact with something.
Rachel Jenkins creates something out of what she has, the theme of everyday is accessible, symbolic, creating an openness in the room. She uses a ball of wall to create a doorway for us to step through. Using physical drama to facilitate learning. We can redesign the everyday, sometimes we worry about handouts and over complicating learning. Simple activities can create the strongest response. It feels as if all activities in our session are building on one another.
Silva Hravbar-Owens used polarity to teach with, defining a narrative. This dramatised conflict in the room, starting with a personal story, creates a relationship, contextualises debate and how data could be used to aid sustainability. This causes anger and disagreement but the key in teaching is to structure the discussion. according to the different roles – the lecturer has the power to give everyone a voice, be aware that by being at the front you can polarise discussion.
Ekaterina Luzgina specialises in psychoacoustics and aura diversities, working with the intangible we experience a sound bath meditation. We sit with the noise, considering where it can take us – there is no right or wrong answer. A moment of reflection for all of us, Our technical difficulties allow us a learning opportunity. The shared experience opened us up as a group. Tim reminds us – when you take students into an ‘experience’ tell them how long it will last, how to sit, what will happen. Depth of experience, how do you manage that? Ekaterina also uses slides we can interact with.
Kalina used object based learning and transparent pedagogy, allowing us to sit and examine a series of artefacts. beautiful objects as pieces of art with no reference to scale or location, our imagination was our only limit. What changes when you spend time with an object? We can give students the space to ‘play’. Create a logical structure, multisensory experience, ideation & imagination. Asking cognitive questions incorporates our thinking. Informality as a methodology, this can also shield imposter syndrome, Transparent authenticity – bring yourself as a person and a teacher putting more responsibility on the learner. The opposite of spoon feeding
23rd January with Chris Rowell, Linda Aloysius and Tim Stephens.
Our first session in person, it was lovely to meet my classmates. Having introduced ourselves online, I felt an immediate familiarity through the conversations we had already had. They felt like colleagues rather than strangers. As an icebreaker we were given quotes on different aspects of education to discuss. Posing the questions – Who do we imagine saying it? What does it mean to me? In what ways do I agree/disagree? What do you think are the implications of this belief for teaching practice? ‘Teachers, like their students, have to learn to love the questions, as they come to realise that there can be no final agreements or answers.’ We discuss, there are no right or wrong solutions especially in an art institute. It’s ok for teachers to say ‘I don’t know’ open debate, this is not necessary expected by students. We agree the importance of questions, how do we encourage international students to question, mix cultures – smaller groups? There are no teachers & learners – we are all in this together. Students may have different cultural experiences, non-Eurocentric, it’s interesting for the whole class to hear & discuss their point of view. We can use fear as a driver for critical thinking, to get out of our comfort zone. It’s part of the process of being human. Find a balance – what is ‘risk’ – it’s different-to-different people, create psychological safety in the teaching space. What is ‘love’ in the context of teaching? It’s a risk to show a passion. something you feel strongly about, creative risk as a metaphor for growth. Attention to the learning environment can nurture growth. There is an element of trust in getting to know your students. ‘Love is running towards’ Create a safe space so students feel they are able to take risks, and trust us in that process. How do you do this especially with online teaching? We discuss sensory learning, artefacts building knowledge through the senses: touch, sound, smell give a broad learning experience, not just reading. The practice of making and co-creation as a model for development.
We focus on selecting examples from our teaching practice to illustrate and evaluate our approaches to planning, teaching and assessment. Planning for learning across several levels: whole course, session and individual activities. We are asked to bring an activity, lesson plan or artefact to discuss. I took in my Moodle page for the Self-Initiated Project I run with half of the final year cohort for GB&I BA (Hons). As a course we redesigned our Moodle pages during the summer period so that rather the facing ‘the scroll of doom,’ students could see each week as a block of colour to ideate where they should be in their learning journey throughout the unit. The structure of this is based on the framework for innovation – the Design Council double diamond approach. The four pillars of Discover, Define, Develop & Deliver to structure the creative journey through the unit. I also took in a thumbnails storyboard of one of my Attainment workshops, breaking down a four-hour session and a template I put together from a session I hosted brainstorming primary and secondary ways to conduct research. As a class we filled in a template with ideas that the students can use as reference for future design projects. Along with an Attainment worksheet I created for students to complete ‘How to name a brand’ as my artefact. We discuss Ben’s course and the lack of self-awareness first years have, they are assessed on technical skills, free thinking, originality and voice. Critical reflection, there is a single moment in their learning journey where something changes for them. We discuss improvements for the LSF brief Kyinat shares with us containing complex language – could a peer group glossary of terms be included, that students add to on Moodle?
Learning Design Workshop We are asked to work independently, creating a mockup poster presentation of the possibilities for redesigning our artefact. Referencing the Design toolkit with a focus on the redesign of the question or assessment outcome. My SIP structure is student centric but requires them to do all the work. Narrating the journey, sensory as a methodology. It’s a critical, theoretical framework for their practical assessment, but poses questions – What is research? What can we use as research? How can it be documented? – The answer: play, investigate, explain a curiosity. a student journey requiring physical planning, Use padlet to define your experience, What do you know? We discuss the shock of independent learning for students entering higher education. Could we promote this further? I remember a colleague gave our students a talk about his MA experience at Ual. He created a visual diagram to show timetabled classes and then superimposed a second slide showing independent study and how much he was doing on a weekly basis – it was a lot, brilliantly conveyed for the students to gain real understanding of the time they would need to commit to a course. Independent study is hard without semi-permanent studio space to use as one’s own. Learning from other students in an invaluable experience. Within the double diamond students love research but need time to take risks and be able to fail.
We discuss the gamification of learning about finance. As an educator in my group is looking for a more engaging way to teach her fashion students. We suggest presenting case studies of businesses that have failed. pre priming, asking students to do a task before they come into the classroom as a pre session activity. Students primed before a lecture, think about session before participating they learn a lot more, priming – such as bringing something to the session, collaborative. Post session is also valuable. Consider how I could use this in my teaching. We have a discussion on others posters presented. Remember the importance of constructive alignment, what I propose must be followed up in assessment. The process from assessing documentation, holistic – written & portfolio of evidence. What is research and how do we document it? Show knowledge. A personal experience will always resonate with someone. As teachers we are here to guide. A UK art education system encourages individual thinking whereas Chinese students will not have had that experience. The importance of transparency in marking, criteria, think about your method. Think critically how you are studying/learning – this is interesting as both a teacher and now a student. I write a lot of notes by hand, then reflect as I type them up. This process helps me review my position, but it is very time consuming. We discuss how the double diamond is linear which is not the experience of creating a design project, there are many ups and downs – perhaps the model could be 3D to show how messy and nonlinear the process can be. Show that it’s also ok to loop back into research. My unit structure needs to reflect on the peaks and troughs of the process as more circular than linear and reflect the importance of independent study.
Teaching formats & strategies. We go on to consider the benefits and challenges of different teaching strategies for both a lecturer and student.
1. Teaching in large groups. 2. Teaching in smaller groups. 3. Teaching 1:1 4. Critique.
Large group teaching a workshop or seminar, capture a larger audience, less interaction, harder to keep engaged. Need to build in elements of student interaction to help them understand. How do you get students to speak up – ask them directly, rather than hands up? Pick someone, once someone has spoken others will join in. As an icebreaker ask how is everyone feeling? I only started teaching during lockdown but noticed my colleague would get the class to post an emoji to communicate their emotion in that moment – it was a light way to engage and start a class online. Use simple questions. Students can fear being judged, an anxiety of being asked as question in front of everyone, it’s easier for them to speak to their peers, avoid the hierarchy of the tutor standing, students sitting. Language can also be a barrier. Historically in a lecture students are expected to listen. Value interaction, the importance of the layout of the room, can everyone see the person delivering the lecture. Instant feedback, memetic tools such as online the anonymous whiteboard, how could this work in the real world? With paper? Split a group into 2? Provide snacks? In person teaching has the benefit of the energy of the room, feeling part of a collective community. It’s humanised, make the experience personalised to explain why something is of interest to me, can make it more interesting for students. Get students to laugh with you, online you need strategies to keep everyone going. In LCC the unplanned moments, conversations in the corridors, can spark a starting point for a project that is impossible to recreate online.
Small group, learning: you can’t always measure your peers, how have they communicated/interacted? Use post it notes, feedback, present their work, replicating professional experience with a client or job interviews. Plan experiences such as no speaking, look at each other’s work and write feedback as a framework. Reminder: feedback needs to be constructive. You could ask students to write the rules, be kind, don’t make your responses personal. As an educational framework consider what worked or could be improved. Small group teaching, contains an intimacy, focused on collaboration, easier to change your teaching approach & subject. Students have agency with more accessibility to the tutor. It’s easier to raise issues. Challenge group dynamics, it can hinder the seminar experience if you have a group of close friends – a challenge as the teacher. You may have a group if international students, with one isolated, consider cliques and friendships. As students have more access, we can feel overwhelmed with out of hours emails.
Somethings don’t get taught for example, how do students learn independent study? teachers are not taught how to manage small or large groups.
One to one is more bespoke and personal, getting to know each other. pastoral care, issues that can affect learning. I had a wonderful email from a student last year after she had graduated “I just wanted to thank you for the constant support this year, and for all of your help. I have really enjoyed having you as a tutor, and your kindness has really helped me through all the hardship I have faced this year! Aside from that you have been super helpful with feedback and critiquing my work and it has been a pleasure to be able to take your advice and better myself as a designer.” It was the most wonderful gift. Its less intimidating, students must respond, they can’t hide behind a group. build their confidence and self-esteem. Presentation skills allow for tailored feedback. But its time consuming, lack of parity, time limitations, loss of peer learning, can blur the tutor student dynamic, it’s good to balance 1:1 with group chats. Can benefit expert knowledge if the tutor has it.
We discuss that the tutorial policy is not pastoral but that is what it has become. CSM bias women will take on more pastoral care duties. Be vigil how much you are being asked to do. On some courses, pastoral tutorial is separate from work, seen as ‘well-being’ tutorials, we have to create boundaries, students trust us but we don’t always have the skill set or training. You can invite a member of the counseling team to offer student support. Mental health first aiders. I feel a duty of care as part of my professional responsibility but others in our session are very opposed to this. If you are unsure, we are advised to send an email to our line managers or course leader to document what is happening, – be transparent in communication, something told in confidence. Have a buddy for difficult conversations. Where do you draw the line? Students email problems on a Saturday night requiring urgent action. It is a grey area and down to the individual. Personal decision or choice. each on a professional, individual judgement.
Critique – flexible, allowing for outside feedback. Students get multiple opinions, assessment criteria, develop pitching and presentation skills as part of their professional practice. but can make student feel pressure to feedback in front of their peers, which can be on their presentation rather than the work.
On reflection a combination of these approaches seems to offer our students the best learning opportunities but be open to considering them all.
18th January. Add reflections on the case study from my notes.
(Teaching with Integrity: The ethics of higher education practice. Routledge 2003) (Responding to feedback. Bruce Macfarlane 2004) (Evaluating Teaching. Macfarlane 2004) (Enacting the Penitent Self. Macfarlane & Gourlay 2009)
18th January BDI session with Jason Copley & Adrienne Tulley.
I was invited to join this session looking at current academic frameworks including accountability, policies & practices.
We reviewed 5 key areas; 1. Teaching and Learning. 2. Assessment Process. 3. Signature Art and Design pedagogies. 4. UAL and LCC Priorities. 5. Working with Students.
